Cowboy Caviar Bean Dip (Printable)
Zesty bean and vegetable salad with cumin-lime dressing, perfect for potlucks and gatherings.
# What You'll Need:
→ Beans and Pulses
01 - 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
02 - 1 can (15 oz) black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
→ Vegetables
03 - 1 cup corn kernels (fresh, canned, or thawed frozen)
04 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
05 - 1 green bell pepper, diced
06 - 1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
07 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
08 - 1/2 red onion, finely diced
09 - 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
→ Dressing
10 - 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
11 - 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
12 - 1 clove garlic, minced
13 - 1 tsp ground cumin
14 - 1/2 tsp chili powder
15 - 1/2 tsp salt
16 - 1/4 tsp black pepper
17 - Juice of 1 lime
# Method:
01 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the drained black beans, black-eyed peas, corn kernels, diced red and green bell peppers, chopped jalapeño, quartered cherry tomatoes, diced red onion, and chopped cilantro.
02 - In a separate small bowl, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, ground cumin, chili powder, salt, black pepper, and fresh lime juice until well emulsified.
03 - Pour the prepared dressing over the bean and vegetable mixture. Toss gently to combine, ensuring all ingredients are evenly coated.
04 - Taste the mixture and adjust salt, pepper, or lime juice as needed to suit your preference.
05 - Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together.
06 - Serve chilled with tortilla chips as a dip, or spoon over greens as a salad. Also excellent as a taco filling.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- It requires zero cooking, which means your kitchen stays cool and you stay happy on hot days.
- The colors alone make people stop and stare before they even take a bite.
- It feeds a crowd cheaply and everyone, vegetarian or not, devours it without complaint.
02 -
- Do not skip the chilling step, those thirty minutes transform the dish from a pleasant bean mix into something genuinely addictive.
- Make sure both cans of beans are thoroughly drained and rinsed, excess liquid turns your dip into a soupy mess nobody wants to chase around a bowl.
- If you add avocado, do it at the very last second right before serving or it will brown and get mushy overnight.
03 -
- Let the dressing sit for five minutes after whisking before pouring it over the salad, the garlic and cumin bloom and mellow in the oil and acid.
- Dice everything roughly the same size as a corn kernel so every scoop on a chip gives you a little of everything in one bite.